Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The next day, Wilder delivered Sir Deviathan’s answer.

“Because his house is too far away, he asked if he could visit Mrs. Bloe’s house himself. Tomorrow evening if you don’t mind.”

Karina tilted her head.

“Why doesn’t he come when I’m at the store?”

“He’s busy during the day. The lady will have to take care of the kids in the evening so he said he’ll go see you himself.”

“He must be very busy.”

“He’s busy, very busy. So, is it alright? Tell me if you don’t like it. I’ll go back and say it politely.”

Karina shook her head. Thanks to Sir Deviathan, Roland was able to recover his health.

She couldn’t send such a benefactor back without properly thanking him just because she’s embarrassed with staying at a cheap inn.

In addition, Roland, the person who was helped, seemed to have made up his mind wanting to greet him.

“Please tell him it’s okay anytime tomorrow evening.”

The next evening. Karina cleaned the room until it was shiny to prepare for Sir Deviathan’s visit. Of course, she didn’t forget to dress the children neatly too.

It has been a while. Someone knocked on the door carefully. Karina opened the door with a wide smile and froze. Whoever she imagined was never this man in front of her.

A weak word came out from her half-open mouth.

“Your Grace…?”

The Duke who ruled the entire area of Tors Karina, Roland, and Melissa settled in didn’t show off nor patronize. Rather, he just greeted them with a humble expression.

“I thought it would be rude, but… I always wanted to come and see you.”

“C-come on in.”

Karina acted soulless, like the homunculus that Roland and Melissa had shaped and moved. She mechanically recommends tea to the Duke, pours the popular green tea powder in cold water, and handed it to him.

She obviously wanted to express her gratitude to Roland’s benefactor Sir Deviathan but she was so embarrassed that she couldn’t think of anything.

Roland and Melissa looked like they wanted to say something, but they were crushed down by the heavy air and only looked at Karina’s eyes.

“…I heard it was Sir Deviathan.”

The Duke smiled bitterly.

“My name is Claude Deviathan Tors. Tors is more of a title… I usually go by Claude Deviathan. Mrs. Bloe doesn’t seem to know my name well, so I did use my last name to deceive you.”

Karina waved her hand.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

In fact, it wasn’t okay at all but she couldn’t just ask the benefactor who saved Roland’s life why he deceived her.

This was even the second time she owes this man. First is her own life and the second is Roland’s life. It was such a debt that no words could express her gratitude.

Karina bowed her head politely.

“Thank you so much for your help. Thanks to you, my son is alive.”

“…What I did was nothing. I’ve heard everything that happened from Dr. Solvetain. The doctors who tricked Mrs. Bloe will be punished.”

“I see.”

Karina thought it was a relief at least for that one thing. In the future, those doctors won’t be able to trick naive and poor people like themselves.

Claude, a Duke who looked only a few years older than her, seemed to be in control of Tors more than he seemed. She was relieved that she had really chosen the right place to settle down.

‘He might be a rare good noble.’

While Karina was lost in thought, silence came again. Claude’s gaze shook unsteadily, Roland who had only been looking for an opportunity to say thank you for some time was complimented.

“The child is so cute.”

In those words, there was something that made Karina uneasy. Roland is a really cute boy in the first place. But he had been feverish over the past few days even Karina’s mouth wasn’t in the state to say that he’s cute.

His blue eyes that were originally bright had lost their distinctive sparkle, and his curly brown hair was tangled in a mess no matter how much Karina combed it. No matter how good he looks, it’s more pitiful than cute.

In other words, Claude was rationalizing his observation of Roland by openly giving a strange excuse. Karina snapped at him that even she thought sounded quite aggressive.

“Excuse me, Your Grace, my son is only like that on the outside, he’s a deceiving little devil!”

“Is- Is that so?”

Claude muttered amusedly but didn’t look away from Roland. Doubts slowly grew in Karina’s mind.

No matter how much of a benefactor he is to her and Roland, Claude is the ruler of Tors. She shouldn’t look at his every single move in vain.

‘Why is he looking at Roland like that…?’

No one in Tors would know that Roland was raised as the heir of Lord Lenque. No, in the first place, the Duke had no way of knowing a low-ranking noble like Lord Lenque.

Still, he doesn’t have memories of a previous life like Karina so he won’t know that Roland will become the greatest Archwizard in history.

‘Then why…?’

Whether he noticed Karina’s suspicious gaze or not, Claude’s gaze wandered in the air with nowhere to go.

“A-ahem, I’d better get going.”

“Thank you very much, Duke.”

Roland suddenly jumped up and said his greeting thinking he might not be able to say it at all. Claude smiled as if he didn’t have to do that.

“It’s nothing, so don’t worry too much. If you get sick again in the future, make sure to contact Dr. Solvetain.”

“Yes!”

Roland replied vigorously, Karina couldn’t help but laugh. She escorted Claude out to the inn’s entrance, trying to hide her visible vigilant look.

‘…?’

Karina noticed one strange thing. Claude usually enters Wilder’s jewelry store alone. But the street belonged to a quite busy street and is one of the Tors’ most frequently patrolled streets by security forces.

But this place is different. A cheap inn street where people who don’t have money such as themselves gather. Naturally, the security was bound to be unstable.

When a man like the Duke comes to this street, he obviously should be accompanied by a few escorts and a decent carriage. But there was only one handsome horse at the entrance of the inn.

Though the question of whether he had come alone filled her throat to the end, Karina swallowed any doubts and saw Claude off.

‘Strange.’

It was clear that Claude Deviathan the Duke of Tors had been hiding the fact that he was meeting Karina from his aides.

Doubts continued to linger on Karina’s head. Karina mumble it unconsciously until she put the children to sleep.

“I mean it’s so weird…”

“What?”

Roland asked curiously.

“N-nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing. Ever since we met the Duke… you’ve been acting weird.”

Karina glanced down at Roland.

‘Is it right for me to tell this child my concerns?’

In a way, Roland was involved in the case. Besides, a child have excellent intuition so he may have felt something. Karina swallowed her dry saliva and told Roland her concerns.

“Roland, did you notice anything strange when you saw the Duke earlier? He’s too… you can say too nice to us. And he seemed very interested in you too…”

Roland’s eyes widened as if he was worried about that.

“Is it bad that the Duke is nice to us?”

“No, it’s definitely not a bad thing.”

Karina hurriedly corrected her words. Let’s assume that it was only natural that Claude saved her life in order not to damage his property.

But being kind to Roland was by no means a bad thing. Rather he never went too far as to say he was regarded as a lifelong benefactor. However, Karina couldn’t shake off the questions.

“Then why?”

“That’s the problem. Why would he even do it… Usually, people of high rank don’t really care about people like us at all do they?”

“Isn’t it because of mom?”

Karina couldn’t help but laugh at the child’s innocence. Anyone can tell that the Duke was fond of Roland, she’s only a jewelry shop clerk!

“It can’t be because of me, Roland.”

“But the Duke always stared at mom every time mom was distracted.”

“Roland, you can’t make fun of an adult.”

Contrary to Karina who ignored it, Roland shakes his head with a serious expression.

“I’m not making fun of you! The Duke was really only looking at mom.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Karina’s face stiffened.

‘Why?’

She did look away from time to time. It was because it felt rude to keep staring at Claude. But that’s no reason for Claude to keep an eye on her.

“I think he likes mom so he keeps watching over you. Seriously, the Duke would look at mom and smiled even if mom just turned her head slightly!”

* * *

(T/N: God this chapter was gold HAHA

Awkward  ✔

Endearing ✔

Bruh moment  ✔

Hilarious sht  ✔

Translating this chapter was a blast xD)